Photo credit: Merissa Mueller
Hello! The first week of 2011 has come to a close and I have come to the conclusion that this year is going to be a great year for environmental sustainability on campus. The Office of Sustainability is working hard toward new projects and improving old ones that will continue the process of greening our campus. If you would like to see some of the progress they have made the past year, check out the annual report from 2010. This report provides tonnes of information about campus sustainability initiatives and has personally made me proud to be a University of Ottawa student.
As a student you are always told to get involved, and when it comes to saving your planet, this is also true. Whether it is your own personal green goals or joining a campus group, there are many ways to help reduce waste, energy and water usage in your community. I have made my own goals this year, and I am now a member of the Office of Sustainability, which will allow me to play a more active role on campus.
I should probably introduce myself because you will be hearing a lot from me over the next while. My name is Merissa Mueller, and I am an Environmental Studies and Geography student here at the University of Ottawa. I have always been interested in the environment, being from rural Owen Sound, Ontario. At home, I have my very own forest! I attended sustainability conferences throughout highschool, planted trees, and even participated on our school`s “Envirothon” team. Yeah, I am pretty hardcore or just lame, you can decide.
You can probably gather from the above that I am pretty ecstatic to be working with a group of individuals that are just as enthused about the environment as me. Although I am currently the office newbie, I hope that in the coming weeks I will learn a lot and contribute to the sustainable movement on campus. Don’t worry, I will keep everyone updated on my progress.
-merissa mueller